iPhone App Directory

Pepp opens up the joy of electronic music making to everyone. Thanks to an intelligent rythm and harmony engine, no musical knowledge is needed. Pepp is immediate, intuitive and vastly musical by nature.

Make electronic music like there's nothing to it! Pepp is very easy to use yet it can produce a vast range of sounds. Forget about boring factory sounds. Come up with your own mindbending loops in no time, store them in memory slots, mix them live and jam with your friends. Tweak all parameters to the extreme without destroying your original loops.

This twisted groovebox/arpeggiator/synthesizer lets you quickly forge original electronic music using sixteen sliders and a sixteen step sequencer. Instantly save and recall your ideas without missing a beat. With 160 memory slots you're not likely to run out of storage.

Pepp can also be synced via MIDI, played live from a MIDI keyboard or sequenced from your favorite DAW. Naturally, all sliders can be mapped to midi controllers. Pepp is also integrated with Audiobus so you can use it with all of your audiobus compatible apps!Features at a glance

Ten synth oscillators

Five drum oscillators

FM-synthesis

Audiobus

MIDI Clock in

MIDI in (Notes and CC)

MIDI Latch/Gate

Intelligent arpeggiator

Advanced rythm engine

Lo-/Hi-pass Filter w/ Resonance

Delay

Samle and hold

Instant resample/reloop

Detune

Portamento

Reverb

Gain

Glissando

Master octave +-2

Tempo multiplier

Oscillator types

Sine

Square

Sawtooth

Triangle

Wavetable

Noise

Some key features are disabled in this FREE version of Pepp. The full version of Pepp can be unlocked from within the app by using in-app purchase.

With midimux, you are no longer forced to rely on wifi-packets or external hardware to communicate MIDI data between a Mac and an iOS Device.
It seamlessly integrates your iPad/iPhone into your studio. worry-free, reliable and at an ultra low-latency.
And it works with all apps that speak MIDI.

midimux lets you..

control iOS apps with hardware controllers that are connected to your Mac.

sequence and play iOS apps using a DAW running on your Mac.

control Mac applications or hardware connected to it, using Lemur, TouchOSC or any other app that uses MIDI.

use iOS apps to play and sequence hardware instruments that are connected to your Mac.

create virtual MIDI ports on the iPad/iPhone that can be mirrored to the Mac or other iDevices.

connect more than one iOS device to the Mac - and send MIDI data between them.

all this wired - via the simple usb to lightning/30 pin cable.

In short: midimux creates virtual copies of MIDI devices connected to the other si.

In long: If you have a MIDI device connected to your Mac, midimux will create a copy of it on the iDevice - and thus allowing other apps to talk to it directly. Any byte of MIDI received by the MIDI device on the Mac will be piped to and received on the virtual copy of that device on the iOS device - and is then usable by its apps.
Data sent out by apps to the virtual copy on the iOS device will be piped back via usb, and then sent to the real device on the Mac.

The same is true the other way around. If an app creates a virtual MIDI port (e.G. Animoog), midimux will create a copy of that port on the Mac, naming it 'Animoog @ iPad'.

If an app does not create a virtual MIDI port, midimux always gives the possibility to create virtual ports manually. these can then be used by any apps on any of the iOS devices to pipe data to the Mac. or other iDevices. or both. and back. at the same time ;)

Features:

Creates Mirrors of all MIDI devices that are connected to the computer on the connected iOS devices.

Creates Mirrors of all MIDI devices that are connected to the iOS devices on the Mac.

Lets you create custom virtual Ports that can be used by both sides of the connection to communicate.

does it all via a wired usb connection - using the standard charge & sync cable.

works on all iDevices from iOS 5.

*** midimux currently only works with Mac ***

To work, a lightweight server app has to be installed on the Mac.
Download it from here: http://www.midimux.com -
Or find it in this apps documents folder via iTunes file sharing.

Not everyone wants to recreate a particular sound but it can be a good way to start to craft something or it can be a good way to learn how to use an app or instrument. So what's the sound that you're looking to recreate at the moment, or that's eluded you so far?

Strange to look back at this interview with Chad from miniMusic in 2008. Things have changed a lot, but it still makes for interesting reading from today's perspective. You can read the original post here.

MC Studio is a powerful digital multichannel real-time audio monitoring and analyzing toolbox for your iPad or iPhone, including an analyzer, oscilloscope, goniometer and a full scale level meter. It displays signals from the internal microphones as well as the 3.5 mm audio jack. In combination with an external multichannel USB-audio-interface it is capable of displaying even up to 8 channels simultaneously.

Everyone has a different workflow and a different way of working and getting the sounds you want. So what's yours? How about sharing it and explaining why it works for you? Just get in touch (check the 'about' page) and tell me all about your workflow.

"DAM-FUNKS DAM DRUM that came out in a VERY limited quantity of 100! in 2013 They sold out in less than a day!4 unique sounds curated by DAM himself for BLEEP LABS signature drum machineand stones throw have etched there name to the back and given it a choice FLIGHT CASE!This is the second generation to the 3 in total series Ive used it sparingly and its great fun!in need of money to fix other equipment of mine,otherwise id have kept it for ever!it comes with instructions,and unfortunately i can't send it with the battery because of royal mail but it runs from a simple 9V battery which aren't hard to find…"

Some apps look amazing when you first hear about them or even when you first fire them up but then fail to deliver on your expectations. Which app (or apps) did that for you, and more importantly, why?

Loopseque has been a long time favourite of mine. From its earliest incarnation I've thought that it was truly a triumph of design and simplicity whilst providing an excellent array of options for making music. So I was really glad to see it get an update, however small. And it is a small update. All that they developer has done is make it 64-bit ready. Well that's good isn't it?

Yes, in fact, a resounding yes. Why? Well you may ask. From my perspective it just means that this app is still alive and the developer is still interested in it. That's good news, because I certainly am still interested in it. I like this app so much that in 2013 I used it in our workshops for SoundLab and we even took it to the Royal Festival Hall in London and used it as part of the SoundLab set up for our club night. It was a massive success, and so it should be.

So this is good news. I've no idea what comes next for Loopseque, but I sincerely hope it keeps going as it's a great app for making music irrespective of your level of ability, and that's not something that's easy to achieve in software development.

I know that some people use both iOS and Android, and of course some people (you can guess who) also still run things like Windows Mobile and even Palm OS! So do you run more than one OS, and if you do, why and which?

I saw this over at MatrixSynth, and he got it from MacRumors. Interesting development. We all were sad to see Camel go, but what will Apple do with it, and, more to the point, what of Alchemy mobile? I guess we'll just have to wait to see how this develops.

My hope is that they'll bring it back and do something amazing with it in iOS, but I'm not going to hold my breath for that.

The Korg MS-20 mini is an analog synth, the reincarnation of the classic MS-20. The iMS-20 is the iPad version of the same machine.If you just try to use the same settings on both, the first thought will be "The iMS-20 simply can't sound like the real thing". But in fact, they have different behavior for the same settings on the filter and envelope modules. Don't expect to make the same sounds using the same settings on both!With some work and listening carefully you can make the iPad app to sound much closer than before.Here is another example, now using the filter with resonance and a big release time.Patch images for MS-20 mini and iMS-20 for iPad: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13574893/MS-20%20mini%20and%20iMS-20%20Lead%20Patch.jpgCheck my first video: http://youtu.be/MQJmdwwbAzgiMS-20 For iPad:

“Every scene is a lesson. Every shot is a school. Let the learning continue.”— Martin ScorseseiPad is the ultimate tool for independent filmmakers. Learn how the students of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts relied on iPad to create films in a matter of days.

There's plenty of desktop apps that have already made the jump to mobile, but let's face it that's just the tip of the iceberg. So which desktop apps would you like to see make the move over to mobile?

Create professional sounding music in just minutes. Or perhaps you just want to lay down a percussion track and play keyboards over the top, you can do that too.

About Groove Machine Mobile ....

Synthesizer: Load from the extensive library of bass, keys, lead, pad, sfx and synth sounds. The flexible dual-oscillator, wave-shape driven, design with filters, 3 envelopes and LFO architecture will ensure you can create fresh and unique sounds for years to come. Listen to the presets and you will know how powerful the Groove Machine Mobiles synths are.

Drums & percussion: Punch out a beat on the 10 drum pads. The velocity-through-position feature will allow you to play with feeling to get the right groove. Layer two samples per-pad for complex sample mash-ups. A comprehensive library of percussion samples is included covering kicks, snares, toms, hats, cymbals, sfx and more.

Keyboards: Take control over the synthesizers with Groove Machine Mobiles two-tier touch keyboard, perfect for playing chords and melodies. The visual feedback will even help you to learn to play music just by watching the existing projects play.

Sequencing: After recording a performance Groove Machine Mobile's touch-optimized easy editing features make it a breeze. You can edit in all the musical parts from scratch here too. The Piano-roll allows note entry and step-entry for percussion tracks. Finally, record and edit the movement of almost any knob or control with the Automation editor.

"Here is my Galaxy Note 3 running the new Android Lollipop with Soundcamp app and Samsung Professional Audio technology. It is the first time I can use the Note 3 for making music with really low latency! Soundcamp is a free mobile DAW available on GALAXY apps Store. Up to now, it is compatible with Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Edge and Galaxy Note 3/ Galaxy S5 running the new Android Lollipop. It supports MIDI controllers and third party apps which work like plugins."

Fixed "Saving project" with projects that contains user samples (It is still needed to reload samples to pads that have user samples in order to update past projects made with version 1.0.1 and earlier)

Of course in 2008 when this came up we didn't know what restrictions Apple would put on apps and that any kind of emulator would be almost impossible as StyleTap is, at least in terms of the regular app store anyway. You can read the original post here.

Synth-heads only - like the Beatles, starts with "Yeah, yeah, yeah" and quickly gets weird. This is an experimental noise mix done in one pass with one track from the littleBits Korg synth and my Akai MPK mini keyboard. I use an oscillator into a sequencer both as a sound source and as a modulator - into another oscillator via FM into an envelope into the lowpass filter. Mix all of this with another oscillator that I tune randomly, twiddle the cutoff and frequencies into a delay module and voila - chaos! Added some light EQ and stereo spread in Logic X.

4th little piece from the littleBits Korg synth. This one features two pure analog tracks from the littleBits Korg. For the lead, I used the Korg M1 plugin though. Its hard to get a clean sound from the "dirty" filter used in the littleBits.

This is another LittleBits Korg Synth composition using the modular LittleBits synth. I used the LittleBits Arduino board to feed MIDI from my Akai MPK Mini through the synth and recorded the audio into Logic X. With the exception of the drum kit, all other parts (bongoish, bass and synth) are all from the LittleBits Korg modular synth. This piece emphasizes percussive sounds using the arpeggiator on the MPK mini and tight envelopes on the synth.

I wrote this composition next to my mom's bedside. She had been in an unresponsive state for almost 5 days and I couldn't sleep...I used the miselu keyboard for the first time...my mom died two days later. I used Auria and Jordantron as well as Z3TA and Sampletank for the flute. I used AudioMastering and then uploaded to soundcloud. It was a tough 6 days.......I miss my mom so much already and when I listen to that song I feel the pain I was in because I knew it would all end badly.....Except for my beautiful mom who is flying with the angels now...no more in transition.....thanks for listening

I've been posting a variety of the SoundCloud groups that I like, but of course I don't know every mobile related group. So, if there are groups that you'd like me to mention or just think are full of wonderful tracks please do let me know.

I always have a few in my wishlist in iTunes that I'm not sure if I want or not. So I was wondering how many apps you have in your wishlist and what prompts you to put them there? Do they stay there long or do you tend to delete them off or buy them eventually.

One thing that developers often say to me is that positive reviews can make a big difference to app sales. So do you leave reviews for your favourite apps? If you don't, why not? What is it that's stopping you?

If you do, take a look in the 'about' page in the menu above. It's very easy to get in touch and there's lots of different ways to do it depending on what you need, whether it's news or questions or anything else, it'll be lovely to hear from you.

Which app really helped you turn the corner or made the biggest impact on your music making, mobile or otherwise, and why? What was it about the app, its UI, its workflow, the sound design, what really helped? I'd love to know.

"Celebrating the fast approaching release of Pepp with a quick jam session in the kitchen! Pepp is currently awaiting Apple review and will soon be available in the App Store. For more info check http://facebook.com/peppsynth"

This R-Drone Station handmade synth has a minimal black front panel. This is the same as the unit I play on stage and has been indestructible in a performance situation.

The R-Drone Station is a small electronic musical instrument that allows you to create deep drone loops at various frequencies and speeds.

Use the Freq and D-Level controls to build up super fast loops or slow drones, once looping this device can make sounds for more then 24 hours(limited only by the life of the 9v battery).

The R-Drone Station has 3 main controls;

The Freq control:
This control adjusts the frequency of the tone in the first half of the dial and the level of noise in the second half of the dial, giving two distinct sounds.

The D-Level control:
This control adjusts how deep the drone is played. With this control CW only one sound layer is played, as the knob is moved to the left the sounds are added in layers. As layers are added the drone gets deeper and the speed of the loop is also reduced.

The write control:
The third control is the write button, when pressed it writes a sound to memory which is then replayed next time the loop is run. With the sound control knob adjusted anticlockwise, you can add a rest to the loop by pressing the Write button.

The output is via a 3.5mm stereo socket which can be plugged into earphones, a computer sound card, mixer or amplifier.

The Wicks Looper Luna Mod is a small electronic musical instrument that allows you the create real-time noise loops and experimental sound performances.

The wicks looper has 3 main controls;The sound control:
This control adjusts the frequency of the tone in the first half of the dial and the level of noise in the second half of the dial, giving two distinct sounds.

The tempo control:
The second control is Tempo, which controls how fast the loop is played. Write the loop at a slow tempo then speed it up for a great effect. The Wicks Looper has a loop duration that goes from 1.1seconds to 7.5 seconds.

The write control:
The third control is the write button, when pressed it writes a sound to memory which is then replayed next time the loop is run. With the sound control knob adjusted anticlockwise, you can add a rest to the loop by pressing the Write button.

The output is via a 1/4in socket which can be plugged into earphones, a computer sound card, mixer or amplifier.

OVERVIEW
Small drone generator with two classic oscillators, two sub-harmonic oscillators, a 12dB lowpass filter and photo resistor control. Interesting, unusual small machine inviding to play instantly! Very lovely is the handmade bag made of felt :)

DETAILS
The tone generator section consists of a square wave oscillator, a digital 12Bit sawtooth and two subharmonic oscillators, inspired by the Trautonium which generate sub-frequencies derived from a master frequency.

The level can be set for each oscillator and the frequency range is selectable between high and low. For the subharmonic oscillators that's possible only for both at the same time but you can set the frequency divider individually. A variable frequency control is possible only via three photo resistors on top of the unit which makes the Lumanoise V2 so outstanding. No oscillator is at the same base frequency which provides for frequency beating, so typical for drones.

A 12dB low pass filter with resonance shapes the sound. The cutoff frequency can be set either with the potentiometer (working in opposite direction, by the way) or two more photo resistors.

"MIDIbit - the advanced MIDI interface for the LittleBits synth kit.Just a quick video to demonstrate how the latest MIDIbit firmware handles trills. Holding down and releasing multiple notes, the order of held notes is stored and recalled as notes are released - MIDIbit can remember the order of up to 128 held notes up and down the keyboard.Visit us at www.midibit.org for more information."

I don't often post about games, but on the odd occasion that there's a game that is even vaguely music based I'll post something about it, and Planet Quest is. It calls itself a rhythm based game, and I suppose that's fair. It's fairly easy to play (which is good for the likes of me, a non-gamer), and also it's FREE on the app store too. So you've no reason not to give it a try out.

I haven't posted about this in a while, so if you're new to Palm Sounds you might not be aware that I've been heavily involved in a project called SoundLab which started back in May this year. The SoundLab project is all about making music, and when you visit the site it'll become clear why I'm involved.

Our project site has been up and running for some time now and I'd love you to go take a look if you can. There's a lot of good content already, including stuff about the team talking about what the project means to them, and the results from our workshops.

If there's anything about the project that you want to follow up on with me, you can use the form on the SoundLab site, or contact me in the normal way.

I've posted about this before, but it really is worth revisiting as it changes regularly and is added to of course, so if you haven't heard of or visited the London Sound Survey then this is something you really should do, and even if you have, but haven't been to the site for a while you should take another look, especially if you have an interest in field recording or found sounds.

If you are already using GrooveCloud on Android, or wondering whether or not you should, then check out this tutorial on arranging from them, also it's worth taking a look at the full list of tutorials they have as well.

You can now use MIDI LE directly with your computer connected over a USB-Lightning/30 Pin Cable, which is convenient if your Mac doesn't support Bluetooth LE or you want to rely on cable instead of wireless.

Just get the tool from http://www.s-r-n.de/midile and start jamming!

(The USB MIDI Ports will show up in MIDI LE's list, once the device has been connected to your Mac and the software been started)

Easy sharing: You guys asked for it and here it is - you can now easily share all your recordings on Facebook or Youtube. All you need to do is go to the recording overview screen and hit the sharing button!

iPhone design: We made some graphic improvements to make the MMJ experience even smoother!